Natural Industries Breaks Ground On New Facility

Natural Industries has broken ground on a 20,000 square-foot facility in an office park setting on the north side of Houston that will include a 5,000 square-foot research laboratory. The facility is expected to be completed later this year.

“With increasing global demand for our patented microbial products, we have outgrown our lab space,” says Boomer Cardinale, marketing director for Natural Industries. “Our growth has also resulted in a doubling of our staff in just the past year.”

Natural Industries’ microbes are currently found in products used by thousands of horticulture, agriculture and landscape professionals around the world. These microbes are proven effective for such plants as annuals, perennials, shrubs, woody ornamentals, trees and landscape transplants. After years of use by commercial operations, Natural Industries then brings its microbe-based products to the consumer lawn and garden market.

What will be the next big perennial? Breeders say it takes more than a splashy plant to distinguish itself in the market. Therefore, the question is not what will be the next big perennial, but rather what perennial performs well enough in the garden to have staying power in the market for years to come.

The industry's goal is to have loyal customers who return to the same plants time and time again, not because of price, but owing to a plant brand that shouts top-notch garden performance and is synonymous with excellence, which gives them the secure knowledge that their investment will be worth every hard-earned cent.

Impatiens downy mildew is a fast-moving disease that can quickly go from bad to worse if conditions are right. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights from Ann Chase's (Agricultural Consulting) downy mildew update at Cultivate'14.

Phytophthora is the number one disease of floriculture and nursery crops nationwide. Here are some effective measures growers can take to reduce the occurance of this pathogen, known as "the plant destroyer."

Biocontrols can be very effective when the greenhouse operator makes a serious commitment to using them for integrated pest control. See how Parkway Gardens has successfully used biocontrols for the last nine years.

Greenhouse growers will be challenged by weather forecasts for cloudy and rainy conditions favoring Botrytis blight. Remembering cultural practices and correct fungicides will help until we get more sunshine.

The Dümmen Group has released a statement to clarify growers' options regarding regulations the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) placed on petunia cuttings sourced from Dümmen's Las Mercedes, El Salvador farm during weeks 51 through 7.

Greenhouse Grower talked to the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection and Weed Control Program Manager Jeff Vogel to learn about the Kansas Pest Freedom Standards and how the state is regulating tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) on petunias this season.